Page 17 of Tipped in Frost and Blood
My brows furrowed. “How...”
“Wind magic,” Damien answered before slipping a glance to the ground where she stood with the recruits. “Thank the Gods she did.”
“I think you’ll be fine. Let’s get you down and we’ll patch you up,” Luca said, rising to his feet.
Damien reached out, as if to scoop me into his arms, but I lifted my hand. “Let me do it.”
He hesitated, a pained expression flitting across his face, but he nodded, holding his hand out to me. He helped me to my unsteady feet, and I groaned, clutching onto him to regain my balance.
“Thank you,” I breathed, holding onto him, thankful he didn’t take control and carry me off in front of everyone.
Shadows converged under the roots and vines beside the rock wall, and Damien helped me toward the void. The darkness swallowed us, the familiar tugging sensation calling to something deep within me before we emerged on the ground near the recruits.
I almost wished he hadn’t brought me here, where the other recruits could see my failure.
Sasha was the first to reach me, her eyes lighting up. “You got so far!”
I blinked at the look of joy on her face as she took my hand. Zach and Liam came up beside her, and others joined, their words of encouragement something I almost hadn’t expected.
The voice was silent, slithering back into the furthest corner of my mind, as if it couldn’t stand their enthusiasm and encouragement.
“Thank you for catching her,” Damien said to Sasha.
Her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink, and she stumbled over her words. “My magic isn’t quite strong enough to hold someone, but—"
“That was amazing,” I said. “Thank you. If you hadn’t, I might’ve hurt more than my forehead and then I’d be falling even further behind.”
Her dark brows rose, and she shook her head. “Oh, it was no trouble at all! Please, it’s the least I could do.”
I chuckled at her obvious fluster.
“Back to your places. There’s still more of you to complete the course,” Damien said.
The group of recruits all moved to attention, their backs straightening as they answered in unison. “Understood!”
They left us, and as I slid a look to Damien I couldn’t stop my teasing tone. “So authoritative.”
He rolled his eyes, but a hint of that crooked smile I loved so much tugged at his lips. “Come on, let’s get you taken care of before you get yourself into more trouble.”
7
DAMIEN
“How’s Cas doing?” Zephyr asked hesitantly as we rounded a corner into a dark alley. The central sector near downtown was quiet in the late-night hours. “I heard she took a nasty fall from the rock wall.”
“She’s all right.” I scanned the darkness for any sign of the potential darklings lurking, hidden out of sight. Two Lupai accompanied us, their shadowy forms rippling with each step as they paced at my side, blue eyes searching. “Thankfully, she didn’t need any stitches, but she had quite a knot on her forehead. She’ll likely have some bruising. It could’ve been worse, though. Thank The Fates Sasha stepped in when she did.”
“You gonna have her step back from the course?” Barrett asked.
“Part of me wants her to take a few days to recover, but I know the time alone with her thoughts might do her more harm than good,” I admitted. She was hardheaded, just as she always had been, far more determined than most, and there seemed to be times when the training helped her more than just physically.
I admired that about her, but I feared she pushed herself too hard in her attempts to reach the sun. Nonetheless, I would be there, at her side, ready to catch her when she fell. I would do everything in my power to help her overcome every obstacle standing in her way.
“The mud was a nice touch,” Barrett said with a laugh as he glanced at Zephyr. “You should’ve seen her covered in it. I honestly thought she’d give up after she hit that trip wire and fell into the third pit.”
One of the Lupai brushed against my leg affectionately, and I ran my hand over its head. “It’ll take more than that for her to quit.”
Zephyr turned his gaze to me, and I couldn’t ignore the almost smug grin curving his lips. “I heard she turned your own dagger against you the other day.”
